Propelling device.



Patented May 23, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. I. PARMETER.

PROPELLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-13. 1914.

Patented May 28, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Specification of Letters Patent.

) Patented May 23, 1916.

- Application filed October 13 1914. Serial No. 866,541.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM I. PAR- METER, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at lVellston, in thecounty of Lincoln and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Propelling Devices, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to propelling devices of the traction engine typeand comprisesan efficient means for facilitating the propelling of avehicle and also steering the nations,

same through the propelling mechanism.

Another object of this invention isthe production of a simple andeflicient driving mechanism for a vehicle for transmitting power fromthe engine to the driving wheels.

the slde frames of the traction engine.

By referring to the drawings it will be seen that 1 designates the mainframe which supports the engine 2, and this main frame is provided witha pair of side frames 3. The frame 1 carries a plurality of projectingportions 4 in which projecting portions are journaled the forward casterwheel supporting members 5, which supporting members 5 carry the casterwheels 6.

The rear drivingaxle 7 is carried between the side frames 3 and passesthrough the rear end of these frames, and upon this driving wheels 8,These driving wheels 8 comprise a plurality of spacedbands 9 which areconnected along their periphery by means of the cleats 10, as is.clearly illustrated in Fig.

1.- Each of the side with a gear housing 11 in which is mounted a wormwheel 12, which worm wheel 12 1s carried by the axle 7. A primarydr1v1ng shaft 13 is carried within the forward end be hereinafter fullydescribedgine as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1.

' clearly axle 7 are mounted the driving frames 3 is provided of theframe 3 and is supported upon a plurality of hangers 14. A worm screw 151s carried by the -shaft 13 and meshes with the worm wheel 12 as isillustrated in Fig. 3. An auxiliary drive shaft 16 is also carried wlthmthe gear casing 11 of the frame 3, and this auxiliary driving shaftcarries a worm screw 17, which worm screw meshes with the worm wheel 12.A beveled gear 18' is carried by the shaft 16 and a beveled gear 19 is.carried by the shaft 13, said shafts meshing as clearly illustrated'inFig. 3 for the purpose of facilitating the driving of the main shaft 13.This main shaft 13 car1es a friction wheel 20 which is slidahly mountedupon the shaft and keyed the] ato so as to cause the friction wheel torotate with the shaft 23. The friction wheel 20 normally engages thefriction wheel 21 carrled by the engine 2 to impart rotary movement tothe main drive shaft 13. It should be understood that a similar, drivingmechanism is placed upon each side of the main frame 1 and that a pairof driving wheels 8 aremounted upon opposite sides of the en- It shouldbe understood that the friction'wheel 20 may be thrown into engagementwith the friction disk 21 when so desired so as to control the drivingof the drive wheels 8.

By carefully considering Fig. 3 it will be seen that the shaft 13 isprovided with a universal joint connection 22 so as to facilitate thefree movement of the forward portion 23 of the shaft 13 as will be moreclearly hereinafter described.

A hanger 24 is suspended from the for-.

ward end of the frame 3 and a link 25. is pivotally mounted upon thehanger 24 as is illustrated in Fig. 2. A link connection 26 is connectedto the link 25 and is also connected to a crank arm 27, said crank armbeconnected to an operating shaft 28 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3.Supporting links 29 are pivotally connected to the respective ends ofthe link 25 as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 so as to allow thesupporting links 29 to be raised or lowered when it is desired to turnthe machine as will be more clearly hereinafter deing ' scribed.

A shifting crank 30 is carried by a shifting lever 31 and this shiftingcrank engages the shifting links-32, which shifting links engage thesupporting links 29, and it w1 ll be seen that when the shifting lever31 1s a transversel-vfiextending link 35, which link engages at itsrespective ends the shifting arms 36, which shifting arms 36 areprovided with laterally extending forks 37 for the purpose of engagingthe sleeves 38 of the friction disks asis clearly illustrated in IFig. 1. The link 35 is pivotally connected to the reversing lever 33 soas to allow the free sliding movement of the disks 2O relative to eachother, but it should be understood that the disks 20 may be drawninwardly toward the lever 33 and beyond thev center of the driving disk21 for the purpose of causing a reverse driving' movement upon the shaft23. It should be understood that the disks 20 'are keyed to the forwardportion 23 of the shaft so as to allow free sliding movement of thedisks 20 upon the shaft and cause the disks to rotate therewith.

The operation of the device is as follows: The driving movement will beimparted to I the driving wheels 8 through the medium of the drivinggears cooperating with the shaft 13, and this driving movement will beimparted to the shaft 13 through the means of the friction disks 20contacting with the friction driving wheels 21. Should it be desired toturn the device or machine to travel at an angle to the previous line oftravel, it should be understood that the steering lever 28 may be swungso as to swing the crank 27 and raise or lower one of the forwardportions 23 of one of the shafts 13. Provided the disk 20 upon theright-hand side of the machine is raised it will be seen that the disk20 will slide downwardly upon the forward portion 23 of the shaft 13,whereas the disk 20 upon the lefthand side of the machine will moveoutwardly at the outer end thereof, causing the drive wheels upon oneside of the machine,

to travel at a slower speed than the drive wheels upon the opposite sideof the machine and cause the machine to travel in the desired direction.It of course should be understood that by means of a reverse movement ofthe shaft 28'the machine may be vice, the reversing lever 33 may bedrawn rearwardly thereby pulling'the disks 20 toward the rear of themachine and beyond the center of'the driving wheels 21.

Should it be desired to entirely disengage the disks 20 from the wheels21 the lever 31 may be swung so as to' cause the crank 30 to assume theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and force the disks 20 out ofengagement with the wheels 21 to the position shown in dotted lines inFig. 2. The forward portions 23 of the shafts 13 may have this freemovement owing to the fact that the forward portions 23 of the shafts 13work in the apertures 39 formed in the forward portion of the frame 3.

For the purpose of adding additional friction to the disks 20 a pair ofthese disks are employed wherein each disk is provided with a gear 40upon its inner face, which gears are interlocked by means of the beveledpinions 41 carried by the sleeve 42. mounted upon the shaft 13. Grooves43. are

formed upon the outer edge or periphery of the friction disks 20 andtapering friction rings 44 are placed in the groove 43 for the purposeof constituting an efficient friction surface in order to frictionallydrive the friction disks 20. By means of the disks being formed in themanner just described it will be seen thataddit'ional driving surfacehas been produced, and that by the connection of the two friction wheelsas above described and as specifically illustrated in Fig. 4, one wheelmay travel slightly faster than the other, thereby greatly increasingthe driving power of the device.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is r 1. Adevice of the class described comprising a frame, driving wheelssupporting the same, friction drive wheels, means for driving saidfriction drive wheels, a driving shaft cooperating with each drivingwheel, the forward end of said driving shafts being capable of having auniversal movement, friction driving disks slidably mounted'upon saidshafts, and means for raising and lowering the outer ends of said shaftsfor causing said friction drive disks to slide upon said shafts.

2. A device of the class described comprising a frame, driving wheelssupporting the same, friction drive wheels, 'means for drivingsaidfriction drive wheels, a driving shaft coiiperating with each drivingwheel, the forward end of said driving shafts being capable of having auniversalv movement, friction driving disks slidably mounted upon saidshafts, means for raisingand lowering the outer end of said shafts forcausing said friction drive disks to slide upon said shafts, and meansfor raising the shaft upon one side of said machine, and

lowering the shaft upon the opposite side of-l the machine for causingthe disks upon one side of the machine to move outwardly and causingthedisks upon the opposite side of the machine to move inwardly, wherebysaid driving wheels will-travel at different speed for controlling thesteering of said machine.

3. A device of the class described comprising a frame, driving wheelscarried thereby, supporting wheels carried by said frame, a drivingmechanism carried by said frame, driving disks, a driving shaftcooperating with each driving wheel, said driving a shaft provided withuniversally mounted forward ends, means for throwing said disks into andout of engagement with said driving wheels, means for manually movingsaid disks longitudinally of said shafts for causing a reverse movementof said shafts, and means for tilting said shafts for causing said disksto automatically move longitudinally of said shafts.

4. A device of the class described comprising a frame, driving wheelscarried thereby, supporting wheels carried by said causing said disks toautomatically move longitudinally of said shafts, said friction diskscomprising a plurality of interlocking wheels provided with gears upontheir adjacent faces, and pinions connecting the adjacent gears of saidfriction disks for facilitating the driving of said shafts.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM ISAAC PARMETER.

Witnesses:

J. H. KENNY, D. R. THOMPSON.

